I'm going to go someplace this winter to ski bum it, and obviously Whistler would be an ideal place to be. However, I have heard it is extremely hard for a U.S citizen to get a work visa there. If anybody has done this or knows what the process for being able to be eligible to work over the border is please help me out.

I'm going to go someplace this winter to ski bum it, and obviously Whistler would be an ideal place to be. However, I have heard it is extremely hard for a U.S citizen to get a work visa there. If anybody has done this or knows what the process for being able to be eligible to work over the border is please help me out.

1. You need to prove that you already have a job to apply or that you have "sufficient" means to support yourself while looking for a job. I think it was a bank balance of $10,500 minimum.

2. You need to be a "skilled worker". This means college degree and skills and/or training and experience that are not available in Canada.

3. It will take at least 6 months if you already have a job lined up. More if you don't. That is with an immigration lawyer preparing all of the documentation and taking care of the details.

4. Part of this process will be the preparation and submission of a Labor Market Opinion proving that your skills are not available within Canada (or atleast the local area). I have a copy of the one that was prepared for me and it was like 25 pages detailing my credentials and the 3 months they searched for someone in Canada before hiring me.

I know all of this because I am currently working in Canada as a "skilled worker" on a 2 year work permit.

In other words, you sir are fucked... It ain't gonna happen. Now if you can line something up "under the table" before you come up, great. But I wouldn't count on finding it once you get here. Most employers won't touch you without a SIN (Social Insurance Number).

Maybe we should sticky this or something so I don't have to keep telling people about how their dreams are doomed to failure?

I realize that it all sounds very restrictive (and it is), you have to remember that once you're on Canadian soil, you can get most of the rights and privileges that a Canadian gets including health care while your "legal/illegal" status is figured out through the courts.

We've got a ton of "non-status" people in the country who we can't deport because their cases/appeals haven't finished, but to whom we have to provide the basic of Canadian rights (food, housing, healthcare, legal aid, etc.)

Visitor permits are easy to get, permits to live and work here....not so much.

I realize that it all sounds very restrictive (and it is), you have to remember that once you're on Canadian soil, you can get most of the rights and privileges that a Canadian gets including health care while your "legal/illegal" status is figured out through the courts.

We've got a ton of "non-status" people in the country who we can't deport because their cases/appeals haven't finished, but to whom we have to provide the basic of Canadian rights (food, housing, healthcare, legal aid, etc.)

Visitor permits are easy to get, permits to live and work here....not so much.

A. The OP asked about "working" in Canada.

B. There is no such thing as "visitor permit", it's called a passport. Anyone from the states can "vacation" in Canada unless of course you have a felony record. It which case they will not let you in the country. Keep in mind, a DUI is a felony in Canada and that counts too. If you have only 1 conviction and it was more than 10 years ago, and you can "prove" that with a copy of your criminal record you can still get in. However, it is up to the border agent's discretion.

C. In BC anyway, there is a 30 day waiting period for the provincial healthcare plan and it is not free unless you are indigent (or have sufficiently low income).

D. US Citizens are not granted "landed immigrant" status like those from other countries.

Sorry, but you sir are just plain mistaken (on several fronts).

If you don't need to work, don't have a criminal record, and have a current passport you can visit the Great White North whenever you choose. However, why Whistler is beyond me. I have friends who were volunteer ski safety "yellow jackets" at Whistler for years and the concrete they call powder there sucks, it's overpriced, and mobbed by like 20,000 tourists at most times (many of whom can't ski or board for shit). Per my friends who were locals and there 3 days/week for several years.

There are cheaper and better mountains to be found in BC. From what I hear, Revelstoke is the shit and Kicking Horse is good too.

My point is that, as a visitor, it is pretty easy to get into Canada. There's a long list of countries that don't require a visa to enter, just a valid passport. You can be denied entry for a variety of reasons including a record, but you don't require a visa. That said, visitors are subject to Canadian law but not entitled to Canadian privileges.

Long term residency (1 year +1 day?) and working are another story.

We used to have a problem with foreigners applying for work permits using relative's companies and then immediately hitting up the healthcare system. So many provinces have added a waiting period and the Feds really increased the difficulty level for employers.

Point being, that most employers won't even attempt to jump through those hoops unless you've got a rare skill set that they need. Lifties, dishwashers, etc. aren't going to get it.